202 CHINESE ECONOMiO TREES 



MELIACEAE 



Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, generally pinnate, rarely simple, 

 without stipules. Flowers mostly perfect, regular, panicled. Calyx 4-5 

 cleft. Petals 4 or 5, partly connate, or free. Stamens usually twice as 

 many as the petals, commonly connate into a tube. Ovary superior, 3-5 

 celled, more or less surrounded at the base by the annular disk; ovules 

 1-2 or numerous in each ceU. Style and stigma simple. Fruit a capsule, 

 drupe or berry. Seeds with or without albumen. 



Composed of about 40 genera, mostly distributed in the tropics. 

 The most important member of the family is Swietenia mahogani of Peru 

 and the West Indies, which yields the valuable mahogany wood of com- 

 merce. The bitter bark of this tree has also been used as a substitute 

 for quinine. 



KEY TO GENERA 



A. Fruit drupaceous ; stamens connate. 



I. Leaves pinnate; inflorescence in subglobose panicles; ovary 

 5 celled ; cells 1-2 seeded Cipadessa. 



11. Leaves (in our species) bipinnate; inflorescence in open 



panicles ; ovary 3-6 celled ; cells 1 seeded Melia. 



B. Fruit capsular; stamens free; seeds numerous, winged. .Cedrela. 



CEDRELA 



Trees. Leaves deciduous, alternate, usually odd pinnate, without 

 stipules. Leaflets opposite or sub-opposite, entire or slightly serrate, 

 short stalked. Flowers in terminal, pendulous panicles, inconspicuous, 

 white, usually perfect, regular. Calyx 4-5 cleft; corolla of 4-5 petals. 

 Stamens 4-5, free, inserted on the edge of the disk, shorter than the 

 petals. Style single, capitate or lobed. Ovary 5 celled; ovules 10-12 in 

 each cell arranged in 2 series. Fruit a capsule, dehiscent imperfectly 

 into 5 valves with a large white, pithy, 5 celled or angled central column 

 on which the seeds are disposed. Seeds numerous, winged. 



16 species in Asia, tropical America, and Australia. The fragrant 

 wood of Cedrela odorala, native of the West Indies, is ex:tensively employed 

 for the making of cigar boxes. The aroma which the wood exhales is 

 said to improve the flavor of cigars. 



